Wild Girl | |
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Directed by | Raoul Walsh |
Written by | |
Based on | Salomy Jane's Kiss by Paul Armstrong Jr. |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
Edited by | Jack Murray |
Music by |
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Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 78 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Wild Girl is a 1932 American pre-Code historical drama western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Charles Farrell, Joan Bennett, Ralph Bellamy, and Eugene Pallette. The film was based on a play by Paul Armstrong Jr., [1] [2] [3] which in turn was based on the 1889 short story, Salomy Jane's Kiss, and 1910 novel, Salomy Jane's Kiss, by Bret Harte. The story had been previously filmed as Salomy Jane (1914) and Salomy Jane (1923). [4]
Walsh's only Western between The Big Trail (1930) and Dark Command (1940) is an affectionate parody of the silent westerns Walsh himself made as a young director at Mutual that evolves into a lyrical romance filmed with tenderness and sincerity. Joan Bennett is "the eponymous irrepressible tomboy, who bewitches card sharps and escaped murderers in equal measure in the Redwood forests of the Sierra Nevada mountains". [5]
During the opening credits all the main characters are presented in a few sentences by the actors that portray them.
Pre-production began in July, 1932, with members of the Fox company visiting locations in Sequoia National Park. [6] Most of the cast was announced by early August. [7] Shooting began in Sequoia on August 7, [8] and lasted two weeks that same month. [9] The primary farm set, built at picnic ground, became a brief tourist attraction while it stood. [10] Upon the crew's return to Los Angeles on August 31, director Raoul Walsh told the press that he was very excited about Joan Bennett's performance: "Joan Bennett's came alive in this film... And I think I am a lucky guy to have directed her in it." [11] An additional Western set was built at the Fox Studios. [12]
"Beautifully photographed and robustly directed adventure set in the West, centering around a backwoods girl, delightfully played by Joan Bennett, and her dealings with several men: a good-hearted gambler, a hypocritical, lecherous politician, a two-faced rancher, and a young stranger..." — Peter Bogdanovich [13]
The film was restored by the MoMa in 2015.
It was part of the 2023 Walsh retrospective at the Cinémathèque française. [14]
Bret Harte was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a career spanning more than four decades, he also wrote poetry, plays, lectures, book reviews, editorials, and magazine sketches.
The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.
The following is an overview of 1932 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.
Ralph Rexford Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and awards, including a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Sunrise at Campobello as well as Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Awful Truth (1937).
Raoul Walsh was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He was known for portraying John Wilkes Booth in the silent film The Birth of a Nation (1915) and for directing such films as the widescreen epic The Big Trail (1930) starring John Wayne in his first leading role, The Roaring Twenties starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, High Sierra (1941) starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart, and White Heat (1949) starring James Cagney and Edmond O'Brien. He directed his last film in 1964. His work has been noted as influences on directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Jack Hill, and Martin Scorsese.
Patric Knowles, born Reginald Lawrence Knowles, was an English film actor. Born in Horsforth, West Riding of Yorkshire, he later changed his name to reflect his Irish heritage. He made his film debut in 1932, and played either first or second film leads throughout his career. He appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Me and My Gal is a 1932 American pre-Code crime romantic comedy-drama film starring Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett, directed by Raoul Walsh and released by the Fox Film Corporation. The film tells the story of jaunty young policeman Danny Dolan (Tracy), who falls in love with waterfront cafe waitress Helen Riley (Bennett). It is admired as a pre-Code classic today. According to TCM, it did well with critics and audiences, featuring fine performances from its two stars, "displaying the superb chemistry" that can be seen in their other pictures together.
Marguerite Churchill was an American stage and film actress whose career lasted 30 years, from 1922 to 1952. She was John Wayne's first leading lady, in The Big Trail (1930).
Fernand Gravey, also known as Fernand Gravet in the United States, was a Belgian-born French actor.
Ernest C. Joy was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in 76 films between 1911 and 1920.
Bert Lawrence Glennon was an American cinematographer and film director. He directed Syncopation (1929), the first film released by RKO Radio Pictures.
Salomy Jane is a 1914 silent Western drama film based on Bret Harte's 1898 novella "Salomy Jane's Kiss" and Paul Armstrong's 1907 play based on Harte's story, Salomy Jane.
Salomy Jane may refer to:
Beatriz Michelena was a Venezuelan American actress and singer during the silent film era, known at the time for her operatic soprano voice and appearances in musical theatre. She was one of the few Latina stars visible on the silver screen in the United States in the 1910s. She was a leading lady in each film project she was involved in and, after the failure of California Motion Picture Company, co-founded a production company with her husband George E. Middleton, producing four of her movies.
She Wanted a Millionaire is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama film starring Joan Bennett and Spencer Tracy. The film, produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation, was directed by John G. Blystone and also features Una Merkel. It is the only film that Bennett and Tracy made together in which she was billed over Tracy. They also played the top-billed romantic leads in Me and My Gal (1932), Father of the Bride (1950), and Father's Little Dividend (1951).
The Bait is a 1921 American silent crime drama film produced by and starring Hope Hampton, directed by Maurice Tourneur, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. John Gilbert, then working for Tourneur, wrote the scenario based on the stage play The Tiger Lady by Sidney Toler. Filmed in 1920, the picture was released a day after New Year's 1921. The Bait is now considered to be a lost film.
Broken Laws is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Roy William Neill, remarkable for the appearance of Dorothy Davenport, who is billed as "Mrs. Wallace Reid".
California Motion Picture Corporation was a film company based in San Rafael, California, in Marin County during the silent film era. The company lasted from 1914 until January 1916 when it went bankrupt. It was subsequently renamed and lasted until 1920. It produced at least 15 films. The film company is known for its feature-length films about early California history. Alex E. Beyfuss managed the company.
Salomy Jane, is a 1907 play by Paul Armstrong. It was loosely based on the short story Salomy Jane's Kiss by Bret Harte, but also pulled in characters from other Harte works. It has four acts and five scenes, taking place over sixteen hours in Calaveras County, California around 1855.
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